Count The Subplots!

Here's an interesting trick to evaluate the quality of a TV show. The quality of TV show is directly proportional to the number of subplots.

Compare the new Futurama episodes with the originals. The originals had one or more subplots. Some new episodes had no subplots. They are clearly inferior to the originals.

Most episodes of Seinfeld had more than one subplot. They usually came together humorously at the end.

"The Sarah Silverman Show" usually has two subplots. Sarah Silverman does one thing. Her sister and boyfriend do another thing. The homosexuals do a third thing. (Interestingly, that show does not have a laugh track.)

Multiple subplots give a show extra chances to be interesting. If the main plot is boring, one of the subplots might be good.

When a show has multiple subplots, that's an indication of good writing. When there are no subplots, that's a symptom of lousy writing. The quality of a show is usually highly correlated with the number of subplots.